


THE XENREY ARCHIVES (HLVRAI AU)

by ArsenicKneecaps



Category: HLVRAI - Fandom, Half Life VR: But The AI is Self Aware, Wayneradiotv
Genre: AU, Aliens, Body Horror, Gen, HLVRAI, Half Life Vr Ai - Freeform, M/M, Other, WayneRadioTV - Freeform, Xenrey, Xenry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:21:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24411244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArsenicKneecaps/pseuds/ArsenicKneecaps
Summary: Have ya ever thought "Dang, I sure do like Half Life VR: But The AI is Self Aware. Could use a bit more eldritch horror. WELL BOY HOWDY DO I HAVE THE AU FOR YOU! This is based on WayneRadioTV's  Half Life VR: But The AI is Self Aware series on youtube. It revolves around Benrey, one of the characters in the series who (spoiler alert) becomes the antagonist. This AU is a retelling of the original but with a horror twist applied to it. If you're into body horror, aliens, gaming and security guards- this is the AU for you!
Relationships: BENDON - Relationship
Kudos: 38





	THE XENREY ARCHIVES (HLVRAI AU)

Disclaimer (PLEASE READ!)- Howdy do! My name is Arsenic Kneecaps (not legally) and I don’t really know if I came up with this AU or not? But either way I thought I’d dump all of my ideas of this AU onto a lil google doc. Don’t take this too seriously. I know this is based off of a goofy lil series so I thought I’d have some goofy lil fun with it! Also my interpretation is not absolute- one of the best parts about being a part of a community is seeing different interpretations of the same thing! That being said-err, typed, I hope y'all have fun with this AU and making your own interpretations of it! 

RULES OF THE AU  
No peebises. No NSFW. (partial nudity is fine. But nothing full on- don’t get nasty c’mon now.)  
That’s it.  
Have fun. Don’t take this too seriously.

“WHAT IS XENREY? I GOTTA KNOW”  
So it was late one night, I was listenin’ to Its3oe’s Passport Guardian- an absolute banger. And whilst i was caught up in those tasty beats- I got a stroke of inspiration. A stroke so hard I forgot that the point of this series is that the characters are all AI. This AU is well, an AU- an alternate universe within the game or within the reality that these characters reside in. 

The name Xenrey comes from “Xen”- the alien world of Half Life 1 and Benrey- our favorite security guard. The name was first thought up by @Fredmembrane on tumblr, please check out their wicked cool art!

Basically, Xenrey is an AU where Benrey ends up mutating into his true, alien form throughout the course of the HLVR:AI series. 

WHAT CAUSED THIS/THE CONCEPTION OF XENREY  
What triggers Benreys gradual transformation into the entity called Xenrey could happen by either of these means. I can’t decide which one so take your pick.  
Benrey somehow merged with the Nihilanth (the original final boss of HL) in the bathroom stall when Mike accidentally spawned the Nihilanth onto the map during the events of the first stream.  
Benrey was formerly a test subject for Black Mesa. He was injected with alien DNA but nothing really happened. So Black Mesa cleared him as a test subject and transferred him to work as a security guard instead- he’s gotta earn that Playstation+ membership somehow- even though he was probably put under some sort of NDA he openly talks about how he was tested on and is potentially no longer human.  
A mixture of both of those.

This one is more likely- Benrey was never human to begin with. He is a multidimensional being similar to the G-Man, but not. Or he is a hybrid of sorts.

___

The stages are divided by the four acts as they should be. 

STAGE 1: The Resonance Cascade  
Prior to the resonance cascade (aka big science machine go boom) Benrey doesn’t really have anything going for him- he doesn’t exhibit any “symptoms” that would allow him to be seen as an alien. He’s an average, Playstation-lovin’, gay security guard. However him going after Gordon, be this out of legit security concerns or his sudden infatuation with Gordon is up to interpretation. The events that would ensue in that test chamber would alter not just Benrey but life for the science team as well. The energy released by the resonance cascade kicks off the process of Benrey “maturing” into another, more sinister being. His whole body aches after the events that transpired in the test chamber. His pain is even more than what the other members of the science team experience. On top of that pain strange, purple bruise-like markings begin to appear and disappear all throughout Benrey’s body. They can easily be mistaken for bruises. His veins, all though they are faint under Benrey’s skin emit a strange, green ominous glow...

The Black Mesa Sweet Voice™ - Not just Benrey has been shown to exhibit use of The Black Mesa Sweet Voice™ Dr.Coomer has been shown to use it and Tommy can even read it- showing that he has been educated on the matter in some form. The vocal utility we know of as The Black Mesa Sweet Voice™ possibly comes from Xen or another border world, it was one of the first alien technologies Black Mesa experimented with. During the early years of its experimentation it was highly dangerous and produced a sweet, blue , syrupy liquid that had intoxicating effects to those near it and to those who consume the fluid produced in large quantities (12 fl oz. or more) but this only occured after prolonged exposure to the The Black Mesa Sweet Voice™. The version that is available to be used as a means of communication is only available to members of the Black Mesa Science Team or a few trusted security guards who might need to use the The Black Mesa Sweet Voice™ to convey important information that those outside of the science team cannot know or to provide aid to fellow security guards or science team members by using the calming tones that the The Black Mesa Sweet Voice™ has. 

STAGE 2: The Goopening (Not Starring Gwenyth Paltrow and her Goop)  
After the RC, Black Mesa is FUCKED UP. Like there’s Vortigaunts/Vonneguts/Pomegranates/Ex-Wives, Headcrabs, peeper puppies and golem apes everywhere- but more importantly- there's goop. Nuclear goop and Benrey seems to be unaffected by it. Another thing of note during this act, and in act one is that Benrey repeatedly dies and comes back. Now this happens to everyone in the series at some point with the exception of Gordon. This is probably because y’know AI stuff, but THIS AU aint about that. So here's my explanation, Benrey had to potentially run off and suppress a serious transformation from occurring, so he distanced himself from Gordon and the gang- the Gordon Gang if you will. So what kind of transformations does he suppress? Well, In my vision, Xenrey looks more insect-like, based on what I’ve seen from the other denizens of Xen (Xenizens), such as the Headcrabs, Gonarchs and even the various flora on Xen. Since this is just the beginning stages his transformations would be very small. Simple things like his eyes becoming a cherry red color- maybe even bloodshot, his skin starts darkening at the ends of his hands and feet. His nails and teeth start sharpening as well- however at this point in time it is nothing too noticeable- it might cause members of the science team to do a double take but they mostly just shrug it off as Benrey being the strange man that he is. During this act Benrey is seen going in and out with soldiers and is possibly in cahoots with them especially Forzen- they are friends and bond over Playstation Games, however when Benreys true nature starts coming forth Forzen leaves Benrey to his own devices- like a true American patriot he will not be friends with a space alien. Members of the Military are also interested in utilizing Benrey- they are blissfully unaware of his alien natures unlike Forzen, but they intend to use him to get to Gordon.

There’s also a bit in part two where the science team comes across an injured scientist* that says “Destroy the damn thing before it grows any larger!” now in actuality this scientist in particular is probably discussing the tentacle creature in the next room. But depending on your vision of this AU this scientist could possibly be aware of Benrey being a hybrid or a former test subject and that the resonance cascade would alter his physical form and potentially cause him to grow sporadically. Maybe he oversaw Benrey as a test subject. Up to you. I just thought that was neat. 

*I’m gonna make this scientist my OC. His name is Dr. Roscoe.

STAGE 3:Military Intervention and The Neo Science Team.  
Here’s where things start to get a lil bit crazy. Benrey has managed to control his mutations- temporarily. During the first episode of Act III Benrey and Bubby spent the episode whispering behind Gordons back and this soon causes a downward spiral that will lead to Dr.Freeman losing a hand. Because of this- I like to believe that Bubby was becoming more aware of Benrey’s alien nature and he accepted it. Afterall, Bubbys main goal throughout HLVRAI was just to go home and if given the chance to go home faster- even if through suspicious and possibly backstabbing means he will take it. Bubby, in some ways, was fascinated by Benrey possibly being an alien. However the military- and Benrey both betray the good doctor Bubby and put him back in the tube from which he came. Awaiting his possible rescue in a large tube filled with perfluorocarbon.

But no one is more betrayed than Gordon Freeman who is left without a hand.He always disliked Benrey since the beginning but now his hatred for Benrey had come full circle. Thankfully enough the brave Mr.Freeman is reunited with Tommy and the two are able to make their way to the rest of the team. Albeit their two missing compatriots are also in strange circumstances.

After the military's precise intervention the science team was scattered as previously stated. While Gordon was unconscious the science team was quickly apprehended by US military members. Starting with Bubby, who is escorted to the biological research division after his betrayal-much to Bubby’s obvious discontent. As for Coomer and Tommy however they were able to escape. Coomer went ahead and fled to the inner workings of the Black Mesa facility- however, Coomer was confronted by a horde of his own clones and became separated from Tommy. Tommy, Beybladeless and bewildered manages to make his way deep into the bowels of Black Mesa via the means of conveyor belts located throughout the facility. As for Dr. Harold P. Coomer, he became entangled in a clone uprising. Being in such close proximity to all three hundred of his clones overloaded his brain- their desires to be free of Black Mesa and to eliminate Gordon Freeman became his desires. They act as one and they want to hunt down the Freeman.

As stated earlier, Bubby was left to await his possible rescue in a biotube....

Benrey on the other hand, was struggling to contain his inner self. He had begun to cough up sweet blue fluid and it also periodically leaked out of his nose like blood. The bruises that mottled his body were growing larger, he had begun to feel tumor-like protrusions under his uniform and on his jaw. Fearing that the military might turn on him next- he flees deeper into Black Mesa.

Fortunately enough, Dr. Freeman survives and he manages to make his way to Tommy- the two proceed to track down the rest of the science team. Fearing the return of Benrey, The pair is confronted by Coomer and his hive of clones. Tommy whittles these clones down one by one. Freeing the good doctor from their influence. Eventually the trio reluctantly free a very disgruntled Bubby from his tube. And thus the science team is reunited,still missing the former security guard, much to Gordon’s paranoia. Making their way through Black Mesa- Gordon and his boys discover-perhaps inevitably, their old companion, Benrey. Things continue on as normal as the neo science team trek through Black Mesa to find the Lambda Lab. Act III is also the first act where the The Black Mesa Sweet Voice™ is shown to be ingested. It is excreted through Benrey's mouth into Gordons. Gordon is even able to taste The Black Mesa Sweet Voice™ and he states that it tastes “Blue. Like blue raspberry”. It is also evident that Gordon is taken aback by the effects of now this could be from the shock of having The Black Mesa Sweet Voice™ forced into him or he is feeling the potentially mind-numbing effects of The Black Mesa Sweet Voice™. 

Benrey through the whole series, but during Act III in particular Benrey is shown dying and being resurrected- much to Gordons to annoyance. Because of this it can be believed that Benrey survives his injuries due to what may be a form of rapid cell regeneration that allows him to heal quickly- and seamlessly. As if nothing had ever happened in the first place. Yet he still looks sickly due to all of the action that is going on inside him. Organs shifting, bones snapping and quickly changing their shape, teeth and nails sharpening…  
Unbeknownst to the Science Team however, their nightmare is only just beginning. 

STAGE 4: Metamorphosis 

During the first half of the finale (Act 4 pt. 1) life for the neo science team has gotten a tad bit easier now that Dr.Darnold, one of the nations premier mixologists had given Gordon the gift of a new “hand”. Giving Gordon the fire power to cut through the alien creatures, what remains of the US military but most importantly- Benrey. Gordon fires his gun arm directly at Benrey several times and as per his usual- he recovers quickly. This episode marks the true beginning of Benry’s downward spiral. While at Darold’s lab, Benrey indirectly admits to how he can consume materials that humans normally cannot consume. For instance, Benrey milk and bleach are interchangeable to him. Similar to Act III Benry also uses The Black Mesa Sweet Voice™ to confuse, bewilder and annoy Gordon. What is most important about this episode however- is Benry’s behavior. He is shown to be consistent with his interactions towards Gordon. He spews out a flurry of Black Mesa Sweet Voice™ orbs at Dr.Freeman , according to Benrey himself the production of this horde of blue orbs means that the feelings he harbors towards Gordon are only negative- despite him taking time out to “flirt” with Gordon. He also tells Gordon to go away and to leave him alone-possibly so he can hide away all of his changes or take some time out to cover them up. He also starts asking the group to turn back- Benrey simply wishes to go home, return to his playstation- maybe take a trip to his local Game Stop. He wants this all to be over. Even more so than the rest of the science team given everything that is happening to him. He’s torn apart between stressing about his Playstation Plus Membership or his newly found growths. Benrey’s nature as an extraplanar- or extraterrestrial being starts fully coming to light to Gordon during his second confrontation with the Gman, which was interrupted by Benrey-Much to Gordon’s horror. However, the science team doesn't have time to worry about this. Xen awaits…..

Going from one world to another is hell on the human body. As the science team emerges into this brave new world they begin to grow dizzy and collapse...Except for Benry. Benrey feels a surge of energy from within him, like a strange, pulsating heat emanating from his core. He can’t take this pain, he retreats to the edge of the floating island. Doubling over, the Black Mesa Sweet Voice™ starts to surround him with viscous, blue ribbons as he shouts. These ribbons form bands and they are only growing in number. Connecting Benrey to the island below, a large cocoon has encased Benrey as he begins to drift off into unconsciousness.  
Dr. Harold P. Coomer is the first one to awaken. While checking on his compatriots to ensure that they survived the journey to this strange, twisted world. He notices the glowing, large blue mass at the edge of the island. He studies it, noticing that it is slowly getting larger and larger. Believing it to be a natural feature of this plane, Dr.Coomer is fascinated by its beauty. But then he realizes that Benrey is missing…

Within the span of an hour the cocoon begins to open. A pair of long, segmented, insectile limbs burst forth from the mass a pair of arms- the same length as the previous limbs, with three, long fingers at the end of each follow. And then another just like them, the arms grasp onto the side of the cocoon and pull up a creature- still donning the regular, standard issue Black Mesa security guard uniform. Helmet and all. The creature is around roughly thirty feet (9.144m) tall. From viewing it’s profile Dr.Coomer can also see a pair of mandibles slowly trailing off of its face- blue slime dripping from its newly emerged form. El Creaturo turns its head towards Dr.Coomer, slowly- as if it is getting used to its form, purple carapace glistening in the astral light. It’s five crimson colored eyes stare back at the good doctor. Piercing his soul with its stark white pupils as Dr.Coomer realizes that he should’ve put an end to Benrey long ago.

He frowns at Dr.Coomer, exposing his new teeth- teeth that belong to a predator. Black Mesa Sweet Voice™ residue dripping from them. Muttering a quick “huh…?” he teleports away in a flash of green and yellow light. Dr.Coomer- unsure what the future will bring for him and his friends, sits down on the ledge of the island. Waiting for them to wake up. First Bubby, then Tommy and finally, Dr.Freeman.

Dr.Freeman slowly comes to. As he starts to get his bearings in order, he notices Bubby in his usual demeanor, arms crossed and a scowl on his face. He also notices Tommy on another corner of the floating island. Staring sadly into the great unknown. And then finally, he notices Dr.Coomer, sitting alone on a ledge. Before he can approach Dr.Coomer, a flash of green and yellow energy stops Gordon in his tracks. Benrey has appeared to confront the science team. And it appears as though he’s getting used to his new form and the abilities that come with it. He orders Gordon and his crew to turn back-he also starts claiming that Gordon and him used to be such good friends. Of which Gordon heavily denies this- Thus meaning one of three things. Benry’s losing himself to his affliction and is creating falsified memories, Benrey and Gordon were once friends-long before their time at Black Mesa. Or, and this could possibly add on to the previous as well- Benrey is using these memories of a possible friendship to lure Gordon into a place of emotional vulnerability so he can take advantage and strike. This interpretation is up to you, dear reader. But I consider the latter to be the more likely.Regardless, Benrey-In his new,parasitic form strides about on Xen. Using his additional arms to reach from one island of his newfound kingdom. Yes, Xenrey is an outsider of this world, but he treats it as his own and tears it apart to reach his prey-the science team. He is an usurper and he can bend this distorted world to his whims. 

Even though he is an usurper, he is still the ruler of sorts for Xen. And every king needs his exaltation and Benrys coronation is fast approaching. The gang makes their way through some fucked up alien habitats as they do so they encounter Benry. His form shifting, some proportions more off and inhuman than before. 

When the Science Team makes their way through the final portal, they enter a strange cylindrical room where the former security guard Benrey is laying face down in a pool of some sort of red, water-adjacent liquid. He turns his face up to meet Gordon. The physicist is even more taken aback by seeing his new form up close.

Face to face with the dreaded being, Gordon confronts him. Observing the neon green veins climbing up the sides of his profile like cracks in a foundation. To Gordon, Benry mostly speaks nonsense of Heavenly Swords and Sony CEOs-remnants of the old Benry that once was. But he also speaks of Benry who admits that he feared this would happen from the very beginning. The fateful dick slip, paired with the lack of a passport cause events that occurred on the day of the test would set forth in motion a series of unfathomable events that even Black Mesa’s top minds couldn’t have predicted. Benrey rises before Gordon, revealing his whole form. He stands at a full sixty feet tall now, double what he was when he first emerged. Summoning apparitions in the form of skeletons, Benrey begins to attack the science team at full force. With a series of deafening, earth shaking roars- the final battle begins. The apparitions make attempts to encase and consume the scientists- however this fails as Gordon breaks them free with the aid of his devil gun. Angering Benry more, the science team slips into a portal; one that was possibly created due to a portal storm which came with the territory of Xen. Believing that they may have a moment of respite, they force themselves underwater to hide from the creature. Then they discover something they didn’t expect to find in Xen, they find a large object resembling a passport- Tommys passport in fact. The return to Benrey’s chamber via a portal. 

With the destruction of the passport, Benrey’s condition is starting to worsen. His form is becoming more unstable as if he’s seemingly splitting apart from with. Large cracks appear at the corners of his mouth forming a sickening smile. There’s also cracks on the joints of his arms, both sets- that race up the appendage. As Benry attacks, tendrils of flesh creep out of these cracks. Wriggling in pain with each hit. He unhinges his jaw spewing out raw, unfiltered- nay, weaponized- form of the Black Mesa Sweet Voice™ that is unique to Benry. Sweet blue fluid dripped off of his teeth as it spills out from the cracks, dripping onto the water below. One by one the science team eliminates these strange passport objects. Physical representations of what spurred Benrey and Gordons meeting. With each passport they destroy Benrey’s form and watch him grow more and more grotesque. His portions grow and shrink in awkward ways, sometimes his head is normal size whilst his body retains his now usual abnormally huge size. 

The science team believe their work is all done as each one of the passports has been destroyed. However their fight persists and Benrey’s wounds begin to heal. Muscle and sinew weave together, cracks in his carapace fuse together seamlessly- as if nothing ever happened. The tendrils that once sprawled out of his wounds recede from whence they came. 

The realization that their fight is not over yet dawns on them. The science team nearly loses their will to fight until Bubby steps in. Using the portal gun Bubby had thankfully acquired in Darnold’s mixology lab, Bubby sends Gordon back in time, moments before the Black Mesa incident. Gordon, left to his own devices. Traverses through the near empty facility. The creeping suspicion that he is being watched…

Heavy footsteps echo throughout the halls of the science facility as Gordon cautiously inches ever so closer to the locker room. At the end of the hall he sees a set of five, large eyes stare back at him with piercing snow white, circular pupils. It appears now that while Benrey holds dominion over Xen, he now holds dominion over all time and space- he exists to make Gordon’s reality a living nightmare no matter the plane of existence the two reside on. Benrey will always be after Gordon. Gordon manages to flee into the locker room. He shreds the passport until only a pile of bullet hole ladden paper remains. But now he is left with no way to escape Gordon is pinned against a wall in the locker room. Escape seems almost impossible until a mustachioed, friendly face arrives to aid Gordon. 

There are many things we do not know about Dr.Coomer, regardless of this however Dr.Coomer uses whatever strange gifts he possesses to aid his friend. Dr.Coomer- in this reality is able to acknowledge the horror that is Benrey and thus he discreetly creates a portal to send Gordon back to put an end to it all.

With Gordon’s passport left destroyed in the past. The science team unleashes an all out attack. Tommy commands Sunkist, the perfect dog, to tear Benrey apart. Piece by piece. Bubby, released the tension he’s been keeping within him all this time- it’s about time that he showed his compatriots the true power he’s been holding in all this time. His true nature as Black Mesa’s ultimate lifeform is revealed as Bubby rushes towards the creature, energy surrounding him like an asteroid. Dr.coomer utilizes the forbidden science that he was taught long ago, his fists thundering against Benry’s carapace with the force of one thousand suns.

However it is Gordon that puts an end to Benrey. The former security guard's body falls into the pool of liquid below. His body broken and more twisted than before, Benrey begins to plead with Gordon for the first time in his life. And also for the first time, Dr. Freeman sees fear in Benry’s eyes- all five of them. It appears as if his parasitic form is dissolving, as if he is becoming himself again as his weakened body begins to shrink. Suddenly, Benrey is lifted into the air, the same green and yellow energy that once empowered him is now pulling him away from Gordon. He claws at the wet dirt below him, reaching desperately for Gordon. Crying out for a redemption.

Gordon steps back as Benrey’s grip is weakened and is flung into the air, ascending into the unknown. And with that the Black Mesa nightmare is seemingly over, and Gordon’s world went white...

REACTIONS (more disclaimer- Since I didn’t play any of these characters I can't say how they would react to this situation this section of the AU is entirely my opinion. Feel free to make your own!)

BUBBY: “You FINALLY gave me a reason to take care of business! I told your stupid ass you fucked up!”

Bubby and Benrey were in cahoots during the events of early Act III. Bubby is a skilled scientist-(he did graduate seven times after all) so any physical abnormalities Benry possesses. I feel as though Bubby would be quick to assess these changes in Benry’s worsening condition. However neither Bubby or Benrey understand the severity of the situation. And it is still unaware that Benrey’s symptoms mean that he is no longer-or never was- human. He might just assume that Benrey is just experiencing severe, possibly mutagenic, side effects to resonance cascade exposure. Regardless Benrey provides a way out of Black Mesa, and Bubby wants to take that chance with Benrey rather than with an irritable Dr.Freeman. Bubby doesn’t regret his choice to side with Benrey as his condition progresses; he only regrets his choice once the military gets involved and he is put back in biological research to be sealed in a tube for the remainder of his days. Bubby treats Benry’s betrayal like how Bubby treats everything that annoys or inconveniences him- He gets angry and retaliates at full force. Being a product of Black Mesa’s experiments himself, he also doesn’t take Benry being an icon of science gone wrong likely. And given that Bubby was an attempt to create an ultimate lifeform he is determined to use the powers Black Mesa bequeathed unto him upon his birth to make the ex security guard regret he ever came to the facility in the first place. 

COOMER: “Gordon...I’m scared.”

Now Dr.Coomer is the one I would consider to be the “biologist” out of the group. He knows all sorts of things about various plants such as Cacti, he gives names to the various Xen creatures the Science Team comes across along the course of their journey. He adores nature in all of its occasionally horrifying aspects. The flora and fauna of Xen fascinate him; he states several times throughout the course of the series “Nature is Beautiful!” Especially in regards to all things Xen Related-except Benry. After Gordon awakens in Xen, Dr.Coomer is just...staring off at Benrey. Studying him. And where he would usually be fascinated by such a life form he is instead more horrified by Benrys new, grim visage. There is a possibility that he was fascinated upon initially seeing Benrey burst forth from his cocoon. But what was once fascination turns into horror as even though Benrey seemingly belongs in this world, something still seems wrong, abnormal about him somewhat suddenly becoming this eldritch entity. And he knows that it’s up to him and his compatriots to put an end to it. Even if it costs his life, Dr.Coomer is determined to protect his friends and put a halt on Benry’s horrible existence. 

GORDON: “What is your job?! What is this!? WHERE THE FUCK ARE WE!?”

It is no secret that Gordon absolutely despises Benrey. Whether they had interactions prior to that critical day in which the Earth would be forever altered does not matter. Their relationship was doomed to be one sided from the start. Whilst Benry lusted and pined for Dr.Freeman, the physicist was too consumed with his work to care at first. When Benrey stopped Gordon that day from there on out Gordon would see Benry as a nuisance at first. But then this would only escalate further and further. Gordon was too busy herding the science team to notice Benrey’s various afflictions. At first there was always an inkling that something just was not right with him. Especially when Benry kept repeatedly coming back from the dead. When Benrey betrayed Gordon it made him the angriest he had ever been- it made him wish Benry was dead, and to wish death upon another is one of the most dramatic conclusions one can come to. By the climax of the fourth act Gordon already wished for Benrey to be dead, but now more so than ever. He was more fed up than ever. He was tired of the flirting, of the idle game chat, of all the lies and of all the mystery. Making him more determined than ever to put an end to great parasite Benrey. And he did not care for how the security guard felt about him anymore. Deep within Benrey however, there was always a strong desire for them to be friends. Maybe that feeling, if requited, could’ve led to them ruling their own reality together. 

TOMMY: “They tricked me!” 

Tommy was the only one who Benrey truly considered a friend. Bubby was too sassy, Coomer was too bumbling and as for Gordon...well, we already discussed that, haven’t we? Tommy and Benry were not close friends but rather good acquaintances prior to the resonance cascade. They would occasionally chat about video games, beyblades and they found it easy to understand one another in general. Tommy saw Benrey as a valuable Black Mesa employee and as a phenomenal security guard. So when Benrys betrayal happens in early Act III Tommy probably has the hardest time coping with it. Benrey threw Tommy under the bus by utilizing the love of Beyblades he had once shared with him by sharing that intel with the government to lure Tommy in. Tommy feels horrible for letting himself be so gullible. He should have listened to Dr.Freeman. And he is given the chance to make things right by rescuing Gordon and aiding him through Black Mesa as they search for their missing friends. However he wants to believe that there is still some good left in Benrey. It all starts to become clear to him that Benry possibly being redeemed isn’t an option. Especially since he knows that Forzen was once allied with Benry- and only Benrey could have told Forzen about Tommy’s beloved dog, Sunkist. That was the final straw for Tommy. Sunkist is his everything, a culmination of all of his work as a scientist in the form of a highly loveable, immortal dog. During the final battle with Benrey, Tommy utilizes a feature of Sunkist that he never thought he would ever have to command the hound to use. Never would Tommy wish to have Sunkist attack someone and never would Tommy have ever thought that Benry would turn on him. But he must do what must be done…

FORZEN: “We were-were best friends. We...WERE Best Friends.”  
Covering up the Black Mesa incident was just another day on the job for the special ops soldier. For Forzen he was simply expecting for him and his squadron (AKA ``Team Nice'') to get in, shoot the place up and get out. That way he could go home and relax while watching his favorite YouTube personality- The Irate Gamer. But no. This wasn’t a normal mission. Forzen had to fight his way through a very-somewhat needlessly large science facility; that was teeming with alien life. Not only this, but he also came across Benry. During the mission, Forzen had encountered the injured security guard and decided to lend him a hand. In the process of tending to Benry’s wounds, the two would start hitting it off through conversation. The two had a lot in common,they liked the same content creators and they were both looking forward to a month's worth of PS+. Benry even proved to be useful to Forzen by providing intel on a group of abnormally powerful scientists led by the physicist Dr. Gordon Freeman. The pair were fast friends. However things started to go downhill fast. The two began to butt heads on a topic that was trivial to the both of them. While Benry has claimed that the Irate Gamer, Chris Bores copied Angry Video Game nerd, Forzen constantly refused these blasphemous claims. Their friendship was crumbling as quickly as it was built. On top of that it was becoming more clear to Forzen that Benry was unhuman...The two cut ties. And in the end the one thing they had in common was their demise at the hands of Dr.Freeman. 

GMAN: “The entity that has been walaying our plans, has been dealt with. Thanks to you...I don’t expect we’ll be seeing him again any time soon....Mm yes, the one you call Ben-Rey...I’ve been advised by my employers that his true nature is on something of a, “need-to-know basis”. And you, Dr.Freeman...Do not need to know.”

I consider the Gman and Benrey to be two sides of the same coin. One of order, one of chaos-a yin and yang of sorts. The Gman had his suspicions about Benry but towards the back half of Act III those suspicions start coming to a head when the G Man observes Benrey constantly dying and recovering, the peculiar markings on his skin and what effects his own Black Mesa Sweet Voice™ has on his charge, Gordon. Gman makes an effort to contain Benry by physically disabling him by utilizing the US government provided Helicopter Heap. Hoping that the sheer force of all of those decibels produced by the Helicopter Heap would disable the security guard. However his efforts were all for naught-all he could do was stand back and hope that the science team could both defeat Benrey and prove their value to him. 

This is a stretch-but then again what part of this AU isn’t? Depending on how you chose to view this AU, there could be a possibility that Gman and Benrey are of the same species. Whether Benrey is a hybrid of this race or a purebred-which I imagine Gman to be, has yet to be known. Regardless the two both take up the mantle of being extra planar entities-however their goals are vastly different. While the Gman uses his abilities to ensure order at the favor of his employers, Benrey uses his as a world devouring parasite-far more chaotic than the Combine. And thus he must be contained. 

I did not include Darnold because he and Benrey didn't really interact much with the exception of Benrey playing games on Darnolds research computer. If anyone has any ideas for Darnold pertaining to this AU let me know! I would love to include him!

So that concludes my "lil" AU. Feel free to tag me in anything you do with this AU my Twitter is (@ArsKneecaps) and my Tumblr is (@Arsenic-Kneecaps) you can also find me goofing around on the WayneRadioTV Discord under the name Arsenic (Arsenic Kneecaps #4748). Thanks for reading!

Also tag whatever art you make outta this with #Xenrey OR #Xenry there is no need to credit me- I don’t think I came up with this idea to begin with. But I would like to see what y’all make of this!


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